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Baker's Dozen

Top Brass: Theon Cross' Baker's Dozen
Stewart Smith , October 4th, 2023 08:19

Ahead of a special performance at Kings Place’s Luminate festival later this month, London jazz outlier Theon Cross takes Stewart Smith through his 13 favourite records, from Stevie Wonder to Kano via Miles Davis and Lauryn Hill

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Mos Def – Black On Both Sides

It was just one that talked to me quite a bit. I listen to Black Star as well around that period. It’s an album I always revisit, tunes like ‘UMI Says’. I love the track that he's got with Busta Rhymes, ‘Do It Now’. That's one of my favourite rap collabs. When I was starting to get more into the technical side of hip hop and what a good MC is, this is one of those albums that stood out to me. From lyrics to music it’s a ten out of ten to me. I think the honesty of what he's talking about, you can tell it’s coming from a real place. And so for me, it's just about being honest with myself, whether that's political or emotional. That’s what I take from it.